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26 November 2018

INTERVIEW: Beatrix Alcala of Narcloudia.

Beatrix Alcala.

Narcloudia is a trio of women who base their
project in both the Manila/Quezon metropolitan area of the Philippines and in
Singapore. Their debut release, a darkly lovely, at times Portisheadian EP
called Sky Spectre, came out in 2014. This past October 27th saw the
digital release of Narcloudia’s first full-length, Day-Blind Stars (we posted
the lead track's video here). The album is an attractive, ambitious alloy of dream pop,
shoegaze, and goth. The music immediately invokes a sense of gravity and
mystery and invites deep absorption. Lead vocal lines hypnotize, caressing like
silk scarves passing aloft on a breeze. The first outside reference point that
comes to mind for Narcloudia is Cocteau Twins, both the early, more gothic
sound captured on Garlands and later achievements as well. Those who know and
love Cranes and Bristol, England’s Dreamscape
will also find much to celebrate here.Its artistry and distinction qualify Day-Blind
Stars as a significant release in the shoegaze and dream pop field. We
hope it will receive a level of attention commensurate with its worth and see
international release in physical format. Many thanks to Beatrix Alcala, the guitarist
and vocalist who leads Narcloudia, for answering the following questions for
WTSH. Thanks are due also to Cherie Gonzalez of Manila metro’s ongoing
live shoegaze event series Furiosa—about
which we’ll be posting in a few days—for bringing Narcloudia to our attention.

Narcloudia was formed in Singapore in 2012. I
first met Karla, our drummer, by chance while I was watching a ska band. I
spotted her playing, and thought she was the coolest chick in the room. I was
introduced, and we hit it off from there, discussing our mutual love for Björk,
Broadcast, The Velvet Underground, among others. I met our bassist, Domini, in
another gig where she was lead guitarist in a blues/funk band. I was blown away
and asked her to jam with me some time. We made it happen from there.

Can you tell us what the band has been working on and what you've got forthcoming in the near future?We're currently promoting our recently released album, Day-Blind Stars. We launched in the Philippines on October 27th and in Singapore on November 16th. We plan to write new stuff to follow this
album by 2019, and given the chance, tour for the current album in other
continents.

What do you think of modern shoegaze/dream
pop/psychedelia artists, any favorites?

I’m still stuck with my relatively classic
faves but I don’t think they are all strictly shoegaze/dreampop/psychedelia in
that sense. It would be Broadcast, Pram, Hugo Largo, Young Marble
Giants, Devics, and a slew of other bands. My modern favorite is this band
called The Owl Report.

What is the most important piece of gear for
your sound? Any particular guitars/pedals/amps that you prefer?

Can you tell us a little about what you are
currently into (books, films, art, bands, etc.)?

I just finished Kurt Vonnegut’s The Sirens of
Titan, and absolutely fell in love with the story. I might get some ideas for
the next album from this. I’m a huge fan of Franz Kafka, H.G. Wells, and
admittedly a Tolkien nerd, as much as a Beat Gen poetry-holic.

As for my bandmates,
Karla is another bookworm, an architect, and an avant garde florist. Domini is
in the academe, is a serious classical guitar musician, and reads in science and psychology (also confesses to be a Steven Jay Gould
fanatic).

Our influences come together like a
Frankenstein of sorts when we make each song. I would say, overall, this whole
thing was sparked by my love for Cocteau Twins in terms of sound. Stina
Nordenstam, Emiliana Torrini, Bjork, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Mazzy Star,
and Broadcast for the overall singing style, and a touch of The Velvet
Underground, David Bowie, The Cure, and Sonic Youth here and there. We’re
pretty much all over the place when it comes to what we infuse in our music,
and we like it that way.